Missing the island life

Well it's safe to say I totally wish I could be back on the beautiful mysterious islands of the Galápagos. As I sit here laying awake staring at the ceiling of my room trying to fall asleep, I can't help but think back to our amazing trip. I know it's past blogging season considering the trip is over, but I just wanted to thank everyone for making the trip the best it could ever be. From Mr. Cromwell, to the nice bus driver, everyone on this trip made a difference that will never be forgotten. Out of all the traveling I will be doing in the year to come, I know this trip will always be one of the best experiences ill ever have. You guys rock, and I'm so blessed to have gotten to be included in such a memorable experience.
Over and out
Love always,
Jamie

Day 8

Friday, 3/22/13-  We jumped on the bus this morning for a trip to the Cotopaxi volcano.  The Cotopaxi towers 19,000 feet above sea level and despite it's location at the equator  is snow covered throughout the year.  We stopped along the way to sample some locally grown bananas, buy some crafts from indigenous people and make friends with some adorable animals.

We enjoyed a terrific hike at the base of the Cotopaxi.  At an altitude of 12,000 feet, it wasn't easy!

Tomorrow we are up at 4:00 am to travel from the equator, half way to the north pole.  It has been an amazing journey.  Ecuador will forever be a part of us.  I cannot wait for another opportunity to share it with my students.

Day 7

Thursday, 3/21/13  It was time to say goodbye to the Galapagos today.  It would be another long day of travel with a bus from Puerto Ayora, to a ferry to Balta Island, back to a bus to the airport, a plane to Quito and finally a bus to our hotel.  On the way to the ferry we saw tortoises beside the road and we stopped at the twin craters in the Santa Cruz highlands.

The Three Musketeers

Frigate birds at the Balta ferry

Panoramic view of the city

Day Six

Today we took a much shorter ride to Sante Fe Island.  Sante Fe was all about the snorkeling.  Colorful fish by the thousands in crystal clear water.  The variety and of life was amazing, but nothing could top the thrill of swimming with sea lions.  They came out of nowhere, anxious to find someone who was willing to play with them.  They zipped in and out of the groups of students.  A pair chose me as their personal playmate.  I spent five minutes with the pair, spinning and doing somersaults.   It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.  Their bodies were at times inches from mine.  Once we were all worn out from snorkeling, we took a cruise along the shoreline and saw more sea lions and bird life.

Here is a link to a short video I took during one of the encounters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TtVLgyXFGI

We returned to Sante Fe for lunch and then hiked to Tortuga Bay for some fun on the beach and, of course, more snorkeling.  On the hike we saw a variety of wildlife and were able to track sea turtles through the sand to see where they had laid their eggs the night before.  I had the opportunity to swim with a six foot white tipped reef shark:

We wrapped up the day with dinner on the town.  My group enjoyed a delicious meal at the Grill Del Mar with pork, beef, shrimp and sausage.  The girls enjoyed getting dressed up to go out on the time.

Sadly, we leave these incredible islands tomorrow and make our way back to Quito.  We still have adventures ahead, but our lives have been forever changed by what we have experienced during the past week.

Summary Day 5

Another long boat ride this morning to Floreana Island.  We began the day with a drive into the highlands where we saw a number of tortoises and bird life.  We also had a chance to learn the history of the island.  It is amazing how much greener the highlands are.  

Then highlight of the day though was more snorkeling with sea turtles and some sea lion pups.

On the way back to Santa Cruz we were very lucky to find a pair of Galapagos Penguins followed by some very entertaining dolphins.

Tomorrow we head to Sante  Fe island to swim with Galapagos Sharks and more Sea lions

Summary Day Four

First let me apologize for the lack of posts.  The internet at our hotel is very spotty.  

There is little doubt that the kids will look back on today as a highlight of their lives.  The day began with a nice breakfast at the hotel followed by a two hour boat ride to Isabella Island.  We transferred from our big boats to smaller ones so we could get closer to the flocks of Blue Footed Boobies. 

On reaching the dry, lava-strewn island we headed off to the shore and were welcomed by hundreds of Marine Iguanas.  They were not wary of us at all.  In fact, we had some that walked right under our feet.  It is easy to see why they were called dragons by the first visitors. 

At one point an open fissure connecting two harbors revealed white tip reef sharks resting from their night’s feed.  Continuing on we came to a small colony of Sea Lions.  Two young males seemed to be practicing fighting while some younger ones played in the waves.

From there we headed to the highlands to see Tortoises and learn about the efforts being made to save the various varieties that inhabit the different islands.  Looking at them, there is no question where Steven Spielberg’s inspiration for ET came from.

Next we visited an in-land pool and saw a variety of beautiful birds

After a delicious meal, we had a chance to do our first snorkeling.  The water was clear and full of life.  We had Marine Iguanas, Sea Turtles, Rays and a wide variety of fish swimming within arm’s reach.

We concluded with a trip to the beach.  The kids welcomed the chance to frolic in the water while surrounded by adorable Sea Lions and a variety of other wildlife.

Then we made our way back to Santa Cruz for dinner and some fun in town.  Several of the kids saw an enormous school of rays feeding under the light of the pier.

It is hard to imagine a better day.